Hidden
by noctepanther
Summary: Hidden away, lost forever. Or so they thought...LyudeXMizuti. Giftfic for Kayi Rowling. Crappy summary. Yay.


_**Hidden**_

_This is written in response to a challenge given out by Kayi Rowling, but I've made it more of a gift fic to her since the restrictions were so loose. I'm sorry, but I'm a little over a half-hour late in getting this up for your birthday. Happy 18th! _

_I don't own Mizuti or Lyude. They belong to Namco. _

That mask...it was both comforting and annoying at the same time. You always felt safe in its presence, but you could never tell what its wearer was thinking.

This was one of those times.

I match what I think is her gaze, but I can't be too sure. The Great Mizuti always seems to know what is going on around her at all times, so I don't know exactly where she is looking. Either way, it's rather annoying, as her constant bobbing up and down is starting to give me a headache.

"Please, Great Mizuti, stop that." I say, putting two fingers to my temples to relieve the pain there.

"Stop what Lyude?" she asks innocently, still bobbing as she hovered above the ground. She tilts her head to the side, with what could have been a questioning look in her eyes. If it weren't for that damn mask...

"The stari-I mean, the bobbing." I don't want to risk offending the Great Mizuti. She has proven herself to be most difficult on multiple occasions.

"Lyude does not like it the Great Mizuti looks at him?" she asks, seeing through the fib, her voice _still_ innocent. How could someone who has seen such destruction and bloodshed retain such purity? The Gods know that I have not.

I brush a strand of my red hair, which has deepened in color over the years, and the same color of which I fear my face is turning, and say very quickly, "It's not that." On the contrary, the attention she's giving me is very flattering, seeing as how she deems very little to be worthy of her attention.

"Then why does Lyude wish the Great Mizuti to stop?" she continues her interrogation. How did I become the victim here? "The Great Mizuti likes to look at Lyude. He is most fascinating. Intriguing. Interesting. Enjoyable." Her candor strikes again, this time wounding my face with another blush.

"It's rude," I try to explain. "People don't tend to stare at other people unless they are involved."

"But we are involved, are we not? We are friends. Chums. Comrades. Pals!" With the last word she lifts her legs up into her meditation position.

And then it hits me. She's..._matured_. I didn't see it before, but as she moves into that sitting position, her legs momentarily slip out of the constellation robe she wears. And they're shapely. Better than Savyna's, which is saying quite a good bit. On upon closer inspection, the black robe she's wearing, with the silver stars sparkling on it, is quite form-fitting. And fitting to a very nice form. I never realized, or really even thought about it, but the Children of the Earth are just that. Children. Human. The long, flowing and loose robes they usually wear hide their bodies, so one forgets that they have figures like other human beings. Of course, the Great Mizuti was never one to follow conventions.

"Is it not true, Lyude?" she asks again, this time with a hint of curiosity.

My blush deepens as my crimson eyes quickly return to her mask. "Yes, but what I meant to say is when people are...err..._romantically _involved."

"Oh." Her voice contains a trace of defeat and her head turns to look out the window. At least, I think that's what she is looking at. Stupid mask.

Now there's one of those awkward silences in the air. Those ones that just tend to get even worse the next time someone speaks. I make a quick vow not to be the first one to open their mouth.

"Great Mizuti, why do you still wear your mask?" Damn. "We've defeated Malpercio and restored the Ocean. You don't need it anymore."

She turns her gaze back to me, her child-like giggling filling up the dark room we're sitting in. "The Great Mizuti wears her mask until it decides to leave. The Great Mizuti knows not when that will be, only that it will happen someday. Maybe. Possibly. Hopefully." She sounded almost a bit..._sad_. I cannot recall a time when the sorcerer had a tone anything other than optimistic.

"So, you could be wearing it the rest of your life?" I ask, inching a bit closer to her.

She nods slowly, still in her meditation pose. "And why is Lyude so interested in the mask of the Great Mizuti?" The sadness in her tone was quickly replaced by mirth. Suddenly, I realize how tough it must be for her to be so happy all the time. I always just assumed that was how she was. Never did the thought of her own sadness and problems even cross my mind.

"I'm just a little curious about the Great Mizuti, that is all," I say, shaking my head, causing a few loose hairs to fly off.

"And what would Lyude like to know about the Great Mizuti?"

"What she looks like without her mask."

She quickly stands up, smoothly sliding out of her sitting position. Tilting her head again, she takes a few small steps backwards. "And why would Lyude want to know that?" Playfulness replaces the mirth that was present only a few seconds ago.

That's when it all makes sense. We're both young, at the ages where passion is high and the search for love takes priority over all else. Our once normal and in-control senses are being taken over by the primal urges bred into all races.

Is it so wrong to want this? Is it right to feel unashamed in wanting her?

I think not. And if it's not, well, propriety be damned for once. She is an ideal for me. Intelligent, witty, and attractive. If only I could see her face, know what lies beneath the mask she hides behind.

And so I find my gloved hands reaching out towards her face, gently prying the mask off of it. Putting it carefully on a nearby end table, I can feel a smile cross my lips as see her own thin mouth creased into one of its own. Her eyes are closed happily. My hands reach up, almost shaking with apprehension, removing the other half of her mask, setting it next to it's brother. Light, chocolate brown hair falls down to her shoulders, framing her face just rightly.

Her eyes flutter open, revealing themselves to be a gently hazel, complementing her face and hair in a natural way that surpasses most. Who knew that behind such a mask such a gentle face was being held captive?

"Hi," she says, that smile still pressed against her lips.

"Hi," I respond, for this really is my first time _seeing_ her, body and spirit.

Suddenly, I realize that somewhere in between taking off her mask and staring at her face, my arms and pulled her surprisingly close, so that her cool breath was hitting my neck, and the sweet scent of her body was pleasing my nostrils.

She closes her eyes again, mouth opened in invitation.

I don't hesitate.

Her taste is spicy, exotic almost. She surprises me and is the one to break into my mouth, tongue wanting to dance with mine. It's a struggle for dominance, though neither of us cares who wins, merely enjoying the moment.

We break for the need of air, each of us panting slightly. Her finger lightly traces the outline of my face, and she whispers, "From now on, you call me Mizuti."

_Note from noctepanther: Well, I hoped you liked it Kayi! And all of you people, too. If you review, I'll be grateful and might even give you a cookie. This was really hard to write, so I really really hope you all take the time to review. _


End file.
